Help our Hungry Neighbors. Host a Drive.

Food & Fund drives place the power to make a meaningful difference directly in your hands. Anyone can host a Food & Fund Drive. Any time. For any occasion.

Each drive can be custom-made to fit your organization’s abilities, whether you’re a large corporation, school, small church group or private family. You set the goal and the duration. You provide the location and imagination. The Atlanta Community Food Bank supplies everything else you need to help feed our hungry neighbors.

The collective impact is powerful. In 2014, 1,340 food drives were conducted for ACFB, collecting 1.7 million pounds of food and raising $463,152 to help struggling children, families and seniors put food on the table. To start a drive, click 'Start a Personal Drive' or 'Start a Company/Group Drive' on the right.

FAQ

What food items are needed the most? Nutritious non-perishable items like canned meats (including tuna, stews and soups), and canned fruits and vegetables are in greatest demand. Our most current Most Needed Items list is part of the Food & Fund Drive Toolkit you’ll receive upon registering.

What supplies does ACFB provide for my drive? ACFB can provide colorful posters, donation barrels*, collection bags, and a personalized fundraising website. (*Donation barrels are reserved for drives anticipating a collection of 400 or more pounds, the equivalent of two full barrels.)

How long should my drive last? Depending on the size of your organization, 1-2 weeks is optimal. You want to give people enough time to get their donation in, without losing a sense of urgency and excitement.

When should I hold my drive?Any time! A Food and Fund Drive is a great activity year-round. Our need for food drives is at its highest from February to August.

How do I get food drive donations to the Food Bank?Whenever possible, we ask that you deliver your donations to our main location at 732 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd., NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 (view map). By saving ACFB the expense of trucks, drivers and gas, you leave more dollars for feeding hungry people.

What are your donation hours?We accept donations Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except when we are closed on Tuesdays 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. and on holidays.

Can you pick up my food donations? In order to make the best, most efficient use of our funds, we pre-schedule our drivers. We ask that you schedule a pick-up at least a week ahead of time and that your pick-up be a minimum of 400 pounds.

Which would you prefer be donated: food or money? ACFB is grateful for any and all donations. Food drives not only provide the food needed by our hungry neighbors, but also create a connection between donors and the people they are helping. On the other hand, monetary donations yield more food, as ACFB can buy at deeply reduced rates. For every dollar donated, we are able to provide $9.36 worth of groceries.

What is the best way to collect monetary donations? When you register your Food & Fund Drive on our website, you will gain access to create your very own, customizable Food & Fund Drive homepage. Use our web tools to set a fundraising goal, invite others to join your drive, and easily ask your friends, family and coworkers to support your efforts by making a convenient online gift. Handy features like email templates and a progress thermometer help drive your success. Placing monetary donation canisters at your office or school also provides much needed funds and means you don’t need space for food drive boxes or barrels.

How are online and mail-in donations counted toward my organization’s Food & Fund Drive total?Donors who wish to give online can donate directly on your Food & Fund Drive homepage. These gifts are immediately reflected on your Progress Thermometer. If a donor chooses to support your drive by mailing a check directly to ACFB, we can only credit your Food & Fund Drive with the donation if the donor clearly states that information. Be sure to instruct your donors to CLEARLY attach your drive or organization name to any mail-in donations.

How will receipts for monetary donations be handled?Anyone donating offline (e.g., by check) will receive a printed thank you letter with gift receipt in the mail. Anyone donating online will receive the same print letter as well as an automated email thank you message with gift receipt. Cash donations will not be individually receipted. Instead, all cash donations will be credited as one lump sum to your individual or organization’s name.

Why doesn’t ACFB provide receipts for cash donations? For legal purposes, we must maintain a paper trail for all gifts that we receipt. If cash donations are not received and receipted at the point of donation by a Food Bank staff member, we have no verifiable way to link the gift amount with the corresponding donor. We are more than happy to send a thank you letter to all cash donors to your drive if you provide a list of names. However, this letter will not qualify as an official tax receipt.

How do I handle my company's matching gifts?Many corporations have a matching gift program. Please consult your Human Resources department to see if your company matches charitable contributions. When making a contribution that your company will match, be sure to enclose the paperwork required by your company with your gift.

How much does a Food Donation barrel hold?Our Food Donation barrels hold approximately 200 pounds of food, or roughly enough to serve about 166 meals.

How much does a can of food weigh? The average can of food weighs 15 ounces -- almost a pound.

Most Needed Items

As a part of our dedication to providing healthier food to families, the ACFB would like to ask you, our food and fund drive champions, to help us achieve this goal. Vulnerable communities and those who live within them often lack access to healthy food or the resources to acquire it with. These same communities are also disproportionately affected by diet-related chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and obesity. By providing the healthiest food possible to our neighbors in need, we can help in the fight against two battles that are intrinsically linked: hunger and chronic disease in our community.

Focusing on highly nutritious foods, we aim to distribute food that will enable people suffering the ill-effects of hunger and poverty to feel stronger and healthier. Some of the most needed food items are:

Whole grain foods

Whole wheat pasta

Brown rice

Whole grain cereal

Whole wheat flour

Whole grain crackers

Plain oatmeal

Shelf stable milk (cow, soy, rice, etc.)

Fruit, dried or canned in light syrup or juice

Low-sodium, no salt added vegetables

Low-sodium pasta sauce in plastic container

Foods high in protein

Natural peanut butter (no hydrogenated oil)

Dried beans

Dried peas

Dried lentils

Canned tuna - canned in water, not oil

Canned salmon - canned in water, not oil

Canned chicken - canned in water, not oil

Unsalted nuts

100% fruit and/or vegetable juice

Cooking oil

Olive oil

Canola oil

Families and individuals who struggle to put food on the table also have a tough time with the household essentials that many of us take for granted. In addition to food, these non-food items are greatly needed and appreciated:

Paper products

Diapers

Toiletries

When you add funds to your food drive, we can stretch your donation. For every dollar donated, ACFB is able to distribute more than $9 worth of groceries!